Face Down
by SerpentPoison
Summary: In their seventh year, fate continuously slams Draco and Victoria together in a series of events. Victoria is a quiet loner who must try to keep her secrets safe from Draco as she gets closer to him throughout the year. DracoXOC RonXHermione HarryXGinny
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Welcome to chapter one of Face Down. There will be a few M rated chapters but you will be warned beforehand, otherwise this story is rated T. I hope you enjoy it :) I really like the ideas I have for this story. I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters or places that appear in this fic except my original character. Enjoy!**

**EXPLANATORY NOTE: This fic does not follow the storyline of HBP and DH. But its still good! I promises!**

* * *

Victoria Alma knew she was a nobody. She passed all of her classes with excellent marks but she was nowhere near the level of genius of Hermione Granger. She wasn't much of a fighter, that being quite clear considering she was put into Ravenclaw. Before she had attended Hogwarts, Victoria took classes in the muggle martial art of taekwondo but she never used it. She just wanted a way to defend herself and get in shape. When she went home over the breaks she would pick up a few classes here and there, but other than that, she never fought. As for dueling in the magical world, Victoria didn't know how she would fair. She had never dueled before. A few years ago when there was a special class held on dueling in the Great Hall, she had snuck in to watch the process but left before partners were picked. Victoria was invisible and she was well aware of it. There were people she would exchange words with occasionally, one being the aforementioned Hermione, but other than that, Victoria was not very sociable. And she was content that way.

_Do I have homework for Double Potions? I guess I'll have to find Hermione and ask her. I can't believe I wasn't paying attention during class._

Of course Victoria knew very well why she wasn't paying attention in class. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley's potion had exploded halfway during class and she had spent the rest of class helping the helpless duo finish their potion. One of the upsides of having Hermione as a potions partner was that the two got done rather quickly. Speaking of Ron and Harry, Victoria wasn't quite sure how they made it into a N.E.W.T. level of Potions with Snape but she assumed Hermione had helped them generously throughout the years.

Victoria was suddenly pulled out of her thoughts when she collided with a solid mass and was sent sprawling to the ground.

_Surely I wasn't so lost in thought that I ran into a WALL._

"Watch where you're going, girl," a voice snarled above her.

_Negative._

Victoria stared up at a picturesque Draco Malfoy, completely dumbstruck and overwhelmed by the anger rolling off of him. The Slytherin Prince was glaring at her, his look darkening the longer she stayed silent.

"Don't sit there gaping at me like an idiot, apologize and get out of my way," the blonde growled, nudging her with her foot.

"Oi Malfoy! What are you doing to her?"

"Potter, stay out of this. She ran into me."

Victoria sighed and stood up, putting a hand on Harry's arm lightly as the Golden Trio came up to the scene.

"Really Harry, it's ok. It was my fault."

Harry looked like he was about to protest but she shook his head and replied, "Don't worry about it, I don't need saving."

Victoria was aware that she was kind of harsh, but she thought Harry got the message so he gave her one more unsure look before continuing on to the Great Hall for lunch with his friends.

Brushing her robes off, she turned to the Syltherin boy, "I apologize Draco; I did not mean to run into you or waste your time. Excuse me."

With that she brushed pass the slightly surprised Draco and disappeared down the hall, presumably to lunch as well.

Victoria sat down at the Ravenclaw table and pulled some parchment out of her bag. She really wanted to finish her Ancient Runes homework before lunch was over. She searched through the books in her bag, stopping briefly to glare at the worn Arithmancy book. Finally finding her Ancient Runes book, she pulled it out and began to work while nibbling on a piece of bread thoughtfully.

* * *

Draco watched the girl that ran into him curiously. He had never seen her before and yet it seemed she was at least in her sixth year, probably her seventh with him since she knew his name. Her jade green eyes were scanning a school book quickly, often jumping between it and the parchment she was writing on. At one point her eyes disappeared behind her honey brown locks when she bent close to the book to probably read a tiny caption.

Draco had never met someone so calm…or meek; he couldn't really decide which adjective suited her better. He mentally shrugged to himself. He would probably never see her again so it wasn't a good way to spend his time by thinking about an odd girl.

* * *

"Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts and your final year of Hogwarts. As I am sure you know, the level of this class requires that all of the houses be put together due to the small size. Now if you would please answer role," the new teacher started, his eyes scanning the class briefly before looking down at the class roster.

"Alma, Victoria."

"Here, sir."

"Chang, Cho."

"Here."

"Granger, Hermione."

"Here, sir."

"Malfoy, Draco."

"…here."

"Potter, Harry."

"Here."

"Smith, Elizabeth."

"Here."

"Weasley, Ronald."

"H-here."

"Zambini, Blaise."

"Here."

"Now that's all taken care of," the professor said, "I am Professor Atra Tutamen. In this class you will be learning some of the more complicated defenses like the Patronus Charm, which is the charm we will be starting with. Can someone tell me what the Patronus is?"

Victoria wasn't surprised when Hermione's hand shot into the air, beating out Blaise and Elizabeth.

"Yes Miss Granger?"

"The Patronus Charm is used to cast away Dementors or to perform short tasks like delivering a message for the witch or wizard who summons it. Its cast by thinking happy thoughts and using the encantation: _Expecto Patronum_. Each person has a different shape that their patronus takes."

"Very good, 5 points to Gryffindor."

Hermione beamed, earning a scowl from the two Slytherins in the room.

After demonstrating the necessary wand movement, Professor Tutamen paired the class up, managing to separate every house from each other except for Hermione and Ron. Victoria looked around the room as everyone moved to an empty space in the room with their partner: Harry and Cho, Blaise and Elizabeth, Ron and Hermione.

"We meet again," a cool voice drawled, pulling her out of her observation.

Victoria inclined her head politely, "Hello Draco, shall we get started?"

"Certainly, Victory."

Victoria raised her eyebrow at the little nickname that Draco had just bestowed upon her but she said nothing of it.

She stood and flicked her wand, muttering the necessary words. A wisp of white smoke emitted from her wand before disappearing.

"Think happier thoughts Miss Alma," Professor Tutamen said in passing.

Victoria shrugged indifferently and nodded to Draco for him to give it a try. The blonde repeated the same process she had gone through, producing an even more pathetic wisp than her own. The Ravenclaw giggle softly, being immediately silenced by the death glare Draco sent her.

Class ended with neither Draco nor Victoria being able to conjure a successful patronus. In fact, only Hermione and Harry had successfully conjured a visible patronus. The silvery otter and stag made a small gesture of respect to their respective masters before disappearing. Victoria raised an eyebrow again but it didn't seem anyone else had noticed.

"We'll work on this next time. Class dismissed."

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**A/N: Please review! I would love you forever :) **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Well, here is the next chapter of Face Down. I'm trying to keep to a loose schedule of updating all of my stories about once a week. Sometimes it will be less but I will try to never go over a week without updating all of my ongoing stories. I hope you enjoy this chapter of Face Down :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters or places that appear in this fanfiction. They all belong to the genius we know as JK Rowling. I only own Victoria Alma. This fanfiction is merely to entertain.**

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"Victory, what are _you_ doing out after curfew?" Draco growled, in a foul mood.

"I have a pass," she muttered, pulling the slip of paper from her deep blue cloak pocket.

Draco took the note and scanned it, "You take Astronomy?"

Victoria gave him an odd look, "I do. Well, I have to go…bed and all. Bye Draco."

He grabbed her wrist, "I didn't say I was done talking to you."

She winced and looked up into his cold blue eyes, "Draco, you're hurting me."

The Slytherin Prince only gripped tighter, "Don't walk away from me until I give you permission."

"Ok Draco! I'm sorry, just please let go," Victoria whimpered.

Her eyes widened in minute fear when the blonde pulled his wand from his pocket and held it to her throat menacingly. She started to tremble, tears gathering in the corners of her green eyes. Anger was once again rolling off Draco in waves, even more than when she had run into him. Had she done something wrong? Victoria was tempted to probe his mind, but she was honestly afraid of what she would find. Plus she didn't make it a habit to invade people's privacy.

"Draco, please."

Her teary, wavering voice snapped Draco out of his trance-like anger. He released Victoria like her skin had burned him. He muttered an apology and stormed off.

Victoria slumped against the wall Draco had backed her against, rubbing her wrist gingerly. There would definitely be a bruise in the morning. Her slim fingers touched the spot where Draco's wand was just a moment ago, causing her to shiver. She had never been more terrified of a person before in her life. And she had class with said person every single day for the whole year.

* * *

Victoria shuffled into Double Potions slowly and took her seat, before putting her head on the table and closing her eyes. She was so tired. Her sleep had been plagued with nightmares ever since her nighttime encounter with Draco in the hall last week. She prayed whatever Professor Snape had planned today wasn't too torturous in nature…but then again it WAS Snape.

She heard the chair beside her scrape across the dungeon floor as someone took a seat beside her.

"Good morning Victory."

Victoria visibly recoiled, jerking up and propelling her chair backwards. She had to push down the distinct urge to flee from the haughty looking blonde beside her. He didn't even look like he was sorry and, to be honest, that upset her a little.

"Here," Draco said under his breath, shoving something into her hands just before Snape started to lecture, giving her no time to unwrap the gift or thank the Slytherin. She put it in her bag and turned back to the board where Snape, rather the floating chalk controlled by him, was writing a list of ingredients.

She reviewed the ingredients in mind surprise, recognizing the list for the Draught of Peace. Victoria pulled a pair of thin, wired-rimmed glasses and starts to meticulously chop the first ingredient. She regularly refers back to the book for directions, knowing full well that one slight misstep in the brewing of the Draught of Peace could spell disaster.

"You wear glasses?"

Victoria frowned in concentration, "Only when I'm doing potions or reading for a long period of time. Now, grind this into a fine powder. And for God's sake, be careful. We don't want to accidently brew the Draught of Living Death instead."

She shoved the asphodel root into his hands and continued her task. At one point during class, Draco's hand brushes against hers when he was reaching for something and she had to resist jerking away so she wouldn't cut off one of her own fingers.

Finally the potion turned a calming blue, earning a small smile from the sweaty and stressed Victoria.

"We did it," she said, doing a little fist pump in the air.

Draco just gave her an amused look before pulling a vial out of his bag and putting some of their potion in it, labeling it with a flourish signature. Victoria did the same, though her name was much sloppier. Draco took both the vials to turn in to Professor Snape, giving Victoria an opportunity to get a few more vials of the draught and put them in her bag before clearing the cauldron of the stuff.

She was pretty sure it was against the rules, but Victoria always kept a couple vials of the potions they made in class in case she might need one later. So far in her collection she had Pepperup Potion, Skele-Gro, Veritaserum, Polyjuice Potion, Confusing Concoction, as well as many others. Now she could add the Draught of Peace to it. She was really hoping that they would start Felix Felicis, Amortentia, and Draught of Living Death soon. Never know when any of them could become useful. Speaking of which, she really needed to make some more Pepperup Potion. She should speak to Professor Snape about using the classroom sometime…

Victoria jumped when an explosion triggered to her right. The hearing in her right ear came muffled, but she turned to see a frantic Hermione cleaning up a slime green liquid while Ron just sat staring at the blackened cauldron in a stupor.

"50 points from Gryffindor," Snape said coolly, "Miss Granger, you and Mr. Weasley will stay and clean up this mess. Everyone else, class is dismissed."

Draco seemed to want to talk to Victoria and walk with her but she hung back to talk to Professor Snape, effectively avoiding a direct confrontation with the Slytherin Prince once again.

"Hey Victoria! Wait up! We'll walk with you to lunch," Hermione called out to her after she finished talking to Snape.

She waited somewhat impatiently, eager to get to lunch. Her stomach was starting to rumble audibly. The two finished cleaning some five minutes later and walked with Victoria to the Great Hall.

"So can you believe how much homework Professor Vector gave us? I barely have time to finish any of my other homework. But I like Arithmancy, what about you?" Hermione rambled.

"I guess its ok. I like Potions better," Victoria replied quietly.

She saw Ron give her a horrified look out of the corner of her eyes but she ignored it.

"Would you like to sit with us?" Hermione asked when they came to the giant doors of the great hall.

She shrugged, "Sure."

* * *

Victoria collapsed on her bed overdramatically. She was so thankful she didn't have Astronomy tonight. She finally had time to herself, but what to do?

She decided to open whatever Draco gave her in Potions today. She had almost forgotten about it with the fatigue of the day pressing down on her shoulders.

It was a long thin package, wrapped in shiny black paper with a silver and green ribbon tied around it into a rather feminine bow. Victoria would have to ask Draco if he wrapped it himself, that is if she ever got over her fear of him. She sighed and pulled the paper off delicately, placing the ribbon on the nightstand beside her bed. Opening the box, she let out a small yelp of surprise.

Inside the box was a silver circular pendant hanging on a delicate silver chain. Three spirals stemmed off a central sapphire in the middle and connected with the outer circle before curving back inward. At the end of each spiral was a small emerald. She looked at the necklace in awe, flipping it over and over in her hands. It was then she realized that there was an engraving on the back of the outer circle. She squinted, but was still unable to read the print. Victoria groaned and pulled her glasses out before making another attempt.

"An apology is a good way to have the last word. I am truly sorry, my little Victory," she read aloud.

She resisted the urge to giggle. Draco would find a way to try to lessen the meaning of an apology. She smiled and hooked the necklace on, letting the pendant fall beneath her shirt.

In a slightly better mood, Victoria grabbed a slender instrument case and left her dormitory and common room, intent on finding an abandoned classroom to practice in.

Draco was nowhere near being completely forgiven, but there was hope for him yet.

* * *

Draco hated being a Prefect sometimes. Nightly patrols were so tedious; he would much rather be sleeping. That's why when he heard the sound of music floating down a corridor on the west side of school he thought he was dreaming. He followed his ears, ending up at the closed door of an "empty" classroom. Soft notes could be heard beyond the door. Draco pushed the door open.

Standing in the middle of the classroom was Victoria. Her long, honey colored hair floated gently around her, framing her face. She had her sheet music propped up on a collapsible music stand and was playing a piece on a silver instrument, her fingers flying over the keys as she masterfully maneuvered through the complicated notes.

"What is that?"

Victoria sputtered in surprise, the instrument suddenly making a screeching type of noise in time with her reaction.

"It's a flute. Haven't you seen one before? And what are you doing here?" she demanded.

"Never even heard of it; is it a magical instrument? And I'm a Prefect, I should be asking you that."

"No, it's a muggle instrument originally but this particular one was made by a witch. Now please go away Draco."

"You have a habit of being out after curfew."

"And you have a habit of always finding me. Now please leave me alone."

Draco watched the Ravenclaw curiously. She looked extremely on edge, especially as he drew closer to her. He cornered her against the wall at the same time delicately pulling the flute from her hands and placing it on a nearby desk.

"Draco, what are you-?"

He cut her off, his lips crashing down on hers. Victoria didn't respond, caught in a mental struggle. Just when he thought she was about to kiss back, Victoria pushed Draco off angrily. He looked at her in surprise, missing that her eyes were shining with unshed tears.

"You think this is a dream and you just wanted to see what it was like to kiss me? You may call me Victory but I am not another one of your trophies or another notch in your belt," she whispered, her rage masking the disappointment in her voice.

Draco looked confused, so Victoria took the opportunity to push the Slytherin out of the room. She took her time packing up her flute and music. When she stepped into the corridor, Draco was nowhere to be seen.

She touched her lips softly before shaking her head sadly and returning to her dormitory.

* * *

**A/N: WOW! A drama filled chapter huh? It may have been a little weird to introduce the first kiss between the two so early in the series but there's going to be a lot going on in the lives of Victoria and Draco that it actually kinda fits. I hope the early kiss did not disappoint anyone. Has anyone been able to figure out what Victoria's secret is? I've given a few hints in both of the chapter. Good luck and see you next chapter! Please please please review! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: My lovely readers, I am SO sorry that this is late. I've been working on it as much as possible but I've been sick for the past few days :( Its a little short but I wanted to post it for everyone who has subscribed and to my amazing reviewers RachaelGoesRawr and Regan-from Shakespeare. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters or places that make an appearance in this fanfiction except for Victoria.

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**

If her friends in Gryffindor thought she shy before, then the weeks after her nighttime kiss with Draco must have made them think that she had curled up into herself. Hermione repeatedly tried to involve her in the conversation at the table, but it was a futile effort.

"Are you going to the Slytherin versus Gryffindor match this afternoon?" Hermione asked at lunch, once again pressing Victoria into talking for the umpteenth time that day.

"Probably not," Victoria replied tersely before taking another bite of her plain turkey sandwich.

"Why not? It's going to be bloody brilliant!" Ron exclaimed, "Can't wait to see Harry kick Malfoy's arse again this year."

"Come on, Victoria, come watch the match with us," Hermione pleaded.

Victoria groaned. The last thing she wanted to do was watch Draco parade his ass around on a broomstick but Hermione wasn't giving her much of a choice.

"Fine, I'll see you guys down there," she conceded quietly.

* * *

Victoria was not happy. Being so close to the Christmas break, it was cold and miserable outside. Snow was coming down steadily as she walked out to the stadium, coating her hair and cloak in a fine layer. She finally spotted Hermione and Ron in the bleachers sporting their Gryffindor colors, making her slightly regret her choice of a fitted green sweater and blue jeans but it was the only thing she had clean that would keep her warm.

"Victoria! Glad you could make it!" Hermione shouted over the crowd when she sat down next to them.

Victoria gave her a half smile and turned her attention to the field as the team captains, Draco and Harry, shook hands in the center. With a quick shrill of the whistle, the players launched in the air. Madam Hooch released the two Bludgers and the Golden Snitch then threw the Quaffle up above her before taking off on her broom as well.

The Ravenclaw girl watched silently as the match began. The Gryffindor Chasers were all over the place, Quaffle sailing smoothly in between them. One of the Slytherin Chasers, Blaise, swooped up from below and intercepted the Quaffle, racing off in the opposite direction.

"Oh and Zambini just stole the Quaffle from the usually unbreakable Gryffindor offense! Zambini makes a long pass to Pierson ahead of him and SLYTHERIN SCORES!" the student announcer shouts, changing the scoreboard and putting Slytherin ahead of Gryffindor.

Victoria saw a flash of gold in her peripherals and her keen eyes darting over to watch the movement of the Golden Snitch. She was a mess when it came to riding a broom but she never had any trouble finding the Snitch and watching it as it moved around the field.

* * *

Draco could not concentrate on the match. His mind was all over the place, something he had never experienced before. The Slytherin Prince was normally so cool and collected, so he was at a loss when he found he couldn't stay focused. His eyes kept drifting to the crowd, searching for a certain Ravenclaw girl in curiosity. When he first spotted his Victory, a wave of misplaced jealousy washed over him. She was not watching him. He just hovered on his broom, watching her possessively. It took a few minutes, but he noticed her eyes were darting quickly and not actually following a person but…then what?

"The Snitch," Draco breathed in realization, "She's watching the Golden Snitch."

* * *

Victoria sighed in boredom, trying very hard to not stare at Draco. Once when her eyes strayed from the Snitch to the Slytherin Seeker, he was staring back at her intently. His blue eyes were smoldering, a plethora of emotions flashing through them before settling into an unreadable look.

Draco suddenly zipped off to the left and directly into a sharp dive, chasing after the tiny golden speck that was hovering about ten feet from the ground below him. Harry saw his nemesis, immediately chasing after him.

"What's this? It seems the two Seekers have spotted the Golden Snitch! Potter and Malfoy are neck in neck; who is going to get there first?" the announcer shouted, his voice magically amplified to carry across the field.

Victoria craned forward to see who was ahead. Draco was leaning close over his broom, slowly pulling away from Harry. Harry's eyes widened and pulled out of his dive as the ground came lurching up at him. Draco refused to give up. His hand stretched out, fingers wrapping around the Golden Snitch triumphantly.

"He's not gonna make it!" a Slytherin squealed.

Noise went silent in Victoria's ears as Draco crashed into the ground and didn't get back up. Madam Pomfrey and a few professors ran out to the field, blocking the fallen Slytherin from Victoria's eyes.

"DRACO!" she cried out.

She couldn't remember how she got to the medical wing but there she was sitting in a chair waiting for Madam Pomfrey to fix Draco up. Surprisingly, there wasn't anyone else waiting to see the injured boy but she had apparently gotten there seconds after Draco was brought in.

"You can see him now Miss Alma," Pomfrey said softly before disappearing back into her office.

Victoria pushed the starch white curtains that hid Draco from view back and sat down next to his cot silently, eyes raking over him. He looked like nothing had happened to him; the only thing left to remind her of the incident were the specks of blood on his robes.

"How are you feeling?" Victoria asked quietly, daring to place her hand on top of his softly.

"Finally talking to me again, Victory?"

"You know why…" she muttered, looking away from him.

"Victory, don't you think you're being unreasonable? It was just a kiss," Draco pointed out, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"WHAT?"

Both Victoria and Draco winced when the high pitched shriek echoed through the Hospital Wing. Standing at the door was a very red, very livid Pansy Parkinson flanked by two of her slutty friends that Victoria couldn't name.

Pansy glared, her eyes zeroing in on their hands.

"What. Is. Going. On. Here?"

Victoria drew her hand away from Draco like he burned her, looking at the floor meekly, "Ah sorry, I was just worried about him. He's my friend."

_How could I forget that they were dating? I'm so stupid. Stupid Victoria! Stupid!_

Pansy's eyes narrowed, "What's this about a kiss then?"

The cornered girl held her hands up in defense, "It was a mistake, sorry."

"Get. Out."

Victoria gave Draco a look then fled the Hospital Wing quickly, escaping to the sanctity of the Ravenclaw common room.

She wasn't even in the common room for five minutes before she got restless and frustrated, leaving to seek out something to relieve stress. She paced around the halls angrily, lost in her thoughts.

"What the-?" Victoria jumped when a large door materialized to her right.

The Ravenclaw just stared at the door, her mouth hanging open slightly in shock. Curiosity finally got the best of her and pushed the large door open. If her jaw could drop even more, it would have. Before her was a full-sized dojo. To her left was an opened closet filled with a various assortment of martial arts clothing. Victoria shut the door behind her and changed into a white gi. She went through the stretches that her teacher showed her and turned towards the training dummy.

_Stress relief here I come.

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_

**A/N: Once again, sorry it was so late! Please review! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks for all of the encouraging reviews! And thanks to M-chan for being so enthusiastic about this story! Here's the next chapter of Face Down :) Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters or places that make an appearance in this fanfiction except for Victoria.**

* * *

Over the next week, Victoria spent all of her free-time in the Room of Requirement either practicing her taekwondo or studying for the upcoming exams. As long as she kept herself busy, her mind wouldn't wander to the Slytherin Prince.

"I hate winter," she muttered to herself as she left the Room of Requirement.

The cold December air chilled the sweat on her body, making her shiver. She should have showered before she left, but it was too late now. She pulled her thin fleece jacket closer to her; the dark blue material didn't do much against the harsh weather.

"Well Victory, we meet once again after curfew," a cool voice drawled, "Cheap fleece doesn't suit you."

"Draco," she breathed, "We need to stop meeting like this."

He smirked and answered, "Better me than a teacher, right?"

_At least I wouldn't find the teacher so attractive that I couldn't focus._

Draco unknowingly pulled her out of her thoughts of him by effectively closing the distance between them in a few large strides.

"Why do you avoid me, Victory?"

"How can I avoid you? We have two classes together."

Draco raised an eyebrow, "You either hang around to talk with a teacher, zip out as soon as class is over, or leave with Potter and his…friends."

"Draco, I think you're imagining things," Victoria ventured, her voice getting progressively softer as the Slytherin's expression darkened.

"I thought we were friends, Victory."

Victoria backed up a little as Draco's brilliant blue eyes grew colder with each passing second. She stuttered out an answer, "Of course we're friends. But, Pansy…"

"Who cares?" Draco growled, "You're going to let Pansy bully you into not talking to me? It's like you're afraid of her."

Victoria avoided his question and gaze. She was just not a confrontational person.

"Draco…you're a notorious playboy. How do I know you're not just trying to get me in your bed?"

Draco froze as Victoria's jade colored eyes caught his own in her gaze. The power behind her eyes startled him; he had never seen anything like it and he couldn't look away. The longer he stared into her eyes, the more he began to experience a sense of vertigo. It seemed like he was caught in her eyes for an eternity. Victoria blinked and tore her powerful gaze from his.

"Sorry," she muttered, "See you in Potions class tomorrow."

Before Draco could recover from the wall of dizziness that had assaulted him, Victoria disappeared down the halls that led towards the Ravenclaw dormitories.

"What just happened?" Draco asked himself before he moved to continue his rounds.

* * *

Victoria struggled to keep her eyes open as she waited for class to start. Draco gave her an odd look when he came into the classroom and slid into the seat next to her.

"Victory, we need to talk."

"About?"

She was avoiding eye contact with him, making Draco even more suspicious.

"What happened last night?"

Before Victoria had a chance to answer-or avoid answering-Professor Snape stormed into the dungeon classroom, his dark cloak billowing out behind him. He waved his wand, enchanting the chalk once again to write ingredients and steps of a new potion on the board.

Draco read the board hastily and complained, "Professor, didn't we already make the Draught of Peace?"

"That's not the Draught of Peace," Victoria hissed under her breath.

"Very good, Miss Alma," Snape said sharply, "What potion is it?"

Victoria flushed, not intending for the professor to hear her.

"The Draught of Living Death," she answered quietly.

"10 points to Ravenclaw. What is the Draught of living Death, Miss Alma?"

Victoria took a steadying intake of air and started an explanation, "It's a very tedious potion that imitates the effects of death on the person who drinks it by putting them into a deep sleep. If the potion is slightly off, it can either be an accidental creation of the Draught of Peace or look exactly like the Draught of Living Death but actually kill instead of just giving the appearance of death."

"Thank you, Miss Alma. An additional 15 points to Ravenclaw for a satisfactory answer."

Victoria smiled softly as Professor Snape went into more warnings about brewing this specific draught. As soon as he finished his instructions, Victoria started to pull out her book and glasses. Going over the list Snape put on the board and the one in the book carefully, she noted that all of the ingredients were the same as the Draught of Peace except for one: sopophorus beans. The directions were also extremely similar with minute differences like stirring counter-clockwise instead of clockwise or adding asphodel root right after the concoction comes to a boil instead of five minutes after.

"What do you need me to do?"

Victoria looked up and met the sincere eyes of Draco. He was putting his curiosity aside so they could brew the draught correctly; she was impressed with his maturity…for once.

"Grind this asphodel root exactly like you did for the Draught of Peace."

Draco nodded and did as he was told extremely carefully. While he did that, Victoria examined the next ingredient. She raised her hand, drawing Snape to their table.

"Yes, Miss Alma?"

"Um, Professor, I was looking at these instructions and I was wondering if it would be better for the sopophorus beans to be crushed rather than cut. Before I did that though, I thought I should ask you," Victoria asked quietly, looking up at the professor.

An odd look appeared on Professor Snape's face but he answered, "Very interesting. Acceptable, Miss Alma, proceed with your method. 20 points to Ravenclaw."

The eavesdropping Draco just stared at the two. Professor Snape had never given that many points to a single House in one class before.

"Professor? One more thing. Should the draught really be stirred counter-clockwise the whole time? I was thinking that the potion might be better quality if a clockwise stir was added after every sixth or seventh counter-clockwise stir. I just wasn't sure which. What do you think, sir?"

An impressed expression settled on the professor's features. He answered softly, "Very observant, Miss Alma, I would recommend after every seventh."

"Ok, thank you, sir," Victoria replied, turning back to concentrating on the task set before her and her classmates.

Silence fell between Draco and Victoria as they prepared the ingredients, adding them accordingly.

"Add the asphodel now, Draco."

As soon as Draco tipped the root in, the dark purple liquid changed to a pretty lilac color.

"Are we doing ok so far?" he asked, watching her as she stirred diligently.

"Perfectly," she answered before returning to her quiet counting.

Reaching the appropriate time, Victoria added the sopophorus beans quickly. When the potion turned clear as water, the same small smile of pride appeared on her face and lit up her eyes.

"We did it again! We make a good team!" she squealed happily, making her Slytherin partner chuckle.

"I'll take our two vials up to Snape," Draco offered, holding his hand out for her vial.

She complied and handed it to him. Once again while Draco was up there, she filled a few of her spare vials with the Draught of Living Death and cleared the potion. She safely stored the vials in her bag, double checking to make sure they wouldn't shatter or spill. The class ended while Draco was still up at the front desk, giving Victoria the perfect opportunity to avoid him yet again.

"Sorry, Draco," she whispered before leaving quickly while the Slytherin's back was to her.

When Draco turned around, fully expecting to see his little Victory, she was gone. He frowned and left the dungeons in such a foul mood that even made Blaise avoid him for the rest of the day.

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**A/N: Ok, kinda a slow chapter but it really is going to be important later! I promise the next chapter is going to be intense :D Anyone know what her secret is yet? Please Review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry its late! BUT it is drama packed so hopefully it was worth it! Please enjoy this chapter of Face Down!**

**CONTENT WARNING: Explicative language, mild sexual content**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters or places that appear in this fanfiction except for Victoria.**

**Dedication: To M-chan, you know who you are :)**

**

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If Draco was the most popular and gorgeous guy in the school, then Blaise was an unrivaled second. And if there was one thing that made Blaise furious, it was being under Draco. Blaise hated being inferior. Over the past few months, he had noticed Draco's interest in some Ravenclaw broad and her mutual affections. Fortunately for Blaise, Draco was still dating that cur, Pansy. Blaise could finally have something that Draco wanted, but couldn't achieve. Blaise was going to _take_ that Ravenclaw from him, whether he liked it or not.

* * *

Victoria hated Astronomy almost as much as she hated Arithmancy. She loved the moon and stars but Professor Aurora Sinistra must possess a power that influences students to absolutely _loathe_ her class. Of course, it may have just been the insane amounts of homework that she gave them. A ten foot essay on the importance of the smallest planet according to the magical society, Pluto-due next Monday, it was ridiculous.

"Ahem."

Victoria looked up from the floor she was glaring at, startled, "Dra-OH! Excuse me; I thought you were someone else. Pardon me."

She attempted to pass the tall, handsome boy dressed in Slytherin green, but was stopped when he grabbed her arm rather forcefully.

"I'm s-s-sorry, is there s-s-something you w-want?" Victoria stuttered.

"Yes," he answered, his voice sending unpleasant shivers down Victoria's back, "You."

Before she could protest, his lips crashed down on her own. Victoria panicked, her brain shutting down. It was only the muscle memory she built up over the past few weeks that got her out of the situation…temporarily. She sent a swift punch into the Slytherin's stomach, making him pull away sharply.

"Don't _ever_ assault me like that again," he growled, grabbing her again before she could get away.

His lips descended on hers once again. Tears started to gather in the corners of her eyes as he maneuvered her into a position that made it impossible for her to strike at him again. He kept one hand firmly on her shoulder while his other only roamed freely, slowly unbuttoning her blouse. Victoria attempted to push him away with her free arm with no success.

Her tears finally trickled down her face when the boy's advances progressed when he violently ripped off her blouse.

_This isn't happening._ _Help me! HELP!

* * *

_

Draco was playing chess with a fifth year Slytherin in the common room. He was so bored but this tiny fifth year was not even good a chess. Blaise, on the other hand, was a worthy opponent but Draco hadn't seen him for hours. Frankly, it was quite annoying.

When the wall of raw emotion assaulted Draco's mind, all he could think at first was that he was thankful that he was sitting down or he would have been knocked over. The next immediate thought had him jumping out of his chair and rushing out of the common room, abandoning his chess game. Victoria was in trouble. He didn't know how he knew, but he did. It was as if her mind was begging, pleading with his conscience to come to her rescue.

_Help me!

* * *

_

"Ow, you bitch!" the boy growled, throwing her to the floor and slamming is foot down on her wrist.

Victoria bit back a scream when she felt and heard the bones crack in her slim wrist.

"How _DARE_ you bite my tongue!" he screamed angrily.

"How DARE you stick your foul tongue in my mouth, you ass," Victoria snarled back, cradling her wrist close to her body.

"Whore, I'm going to make you regret that. What do you have to say to that, smartass?" he said, suddenly calm.

The sadistic look in his eyes scared the life out of Victoria. This was why she tried to not be confrontational! It always ended badly! But she couldn't help snapping back at this bastard and hurting him as much as possible; it was a natural defense mechanism that she was pretty sure all girls had.

"I say 'go to hell, you unholy bastard.'"

A devastating blow to the head made stars explode before her eyes. Darkness started creeping in on the edge of her vision that she desperately fought. If she was unconscious, who knew what this monster would do to her? Victoria was hoping against hope that Draco would come to her rescue, but her faith was starting to fail her…maybe Draco didn't understand.

The boy angrily kicked her in the stomach, effectively knocking the breath out of her. She looked up at him pathetically as he reeled his foot back to deliver another kick to her abused body.

"_Blaise Zabini._"

The boy whirled around in surprise, "Draco?"

"What do you think you're doing to my friend?" Draco asked coldly, barely managing to keep a calm, collected exterior even though, on the inside, he was furious.

"She should not have rejected me!"

"Women are _not_ objects, Blaise. They have a _right_ to choose who they like. Victoria obviously did not want to associate with _scum_ like you."

Victoria's head was spinning. Draco had never said her full name before; something serious must be happening. But for the life of her, she couldn't remember what was happening. All she knew was that she was really tired and a nap sounded really good right about now.

"Oh that's rich! Coming from the Playboy of Hogwarts!"

"Blaise, you have five seconds to get out of my sight before I perform the worst Cruciatus Curse you have ever experienced."

Blaise had never see Draco so angry before and took the gracious offer, getting away from the thoroughly pissed off Prince as quickly as he could.

Draco knelt beside his Victory, extremely worried. Sometime between when he had arrived and when he chased Blaise off, she had fallen unconscious. He had to get her to the Medical Wing as quickly as possible.

He scooped the broken girl up in his arms, a protective look settling into his usually cold features. He had to hurry.

* * *

**A/N: Ah! Please don't hurt me for the slight cliffhanger! And I am SO sorry if you are a Blaise Zabini fan, but I needed...well basically a scapegoat. Blaise is one of my favorite characters so I hated portraying him in such a dark light! I really see him as more of a Slytherin version of Fred & George Weasley...just quieter and more subtle, but that's just my view of him. Please review! :) I need some of the encouragement!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Woo! Chapter 6 is finally here! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Harry Potter

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Victoria groaned when she rolled out of bed and cracked her neck, earning loud cracks from her joints. She was tired of being in the Hospital Wing; three days was way too long to be confined to a room with the exception of exams. She was so glad to get back to her own dormitory today, and just in time for Christmas break.

"That's disgusting, Victory."

"Is not," Victoria argued, "Plus I'm sore."

"I can make soreness feel like you're in heaven," Draco said with a wink.

Victoria made a face at the Slytherin Prince, "Draco, that was so uncalled for."

He shrugged and changed the subject, "Sit down, let me see if I can help. You should be in bed anyway."

"I'm tired of lying around doing nothing," she complained, but she acquiesced.

Draco gently started working out the knots in Victoria's shoulders. As the Ravenclaw slowly started to relax, he dared to bring up what had been bothering him for weeks now.

"Victoria, remember that time we ran into each other after curfew?"

"Which time?" she asked with a soft laugh.

"You asked me if I was trying to get you in bed. And then something really weird happened. It was like you-"

"Stop Draco, I don't want to talk about this right now."

"Victory, I'm not joking this is a serious conversation."

"Yes Draco, a conversation I don't want to have _right now_," Victoria snapped, her eyes discreetly flickering over to Madam Pomfrey's office.

An understanding look settled on the Slytherin's face. He nodded, making a mental note to discuss the matter later, and changed the subject again, "So are you going home for the holidays?"

"No, I never go home at Christmas. My dad and sister work all through the break so there's really no reason for me to go back."

"What about your mom?" Draco asked curiously.

"She died."

"Oh…sorry."

Victoria shrugged, "It's ok; I never really knew her. She died giving birth to me."

Draco looked at her strangely, "Don't you miss her?"

"How can you miss someone you don't know?"

"But she was your mother. I couldn't imagine life without mine."

Victoria smiled at the distraught Slytherin. Though he would never admit how much this actually bothered him, she could tell that her lack of emotion struck something in him. It was really frustrating for poor Draco.

"Don't worry about it, Draco. Do you go home for Christmas?" she asked.

"Of course I do."

The two lapsed into a comfortable silence, Draco still massaging her back tenderly.

"I broke up with Pansy."

Victoria's jaw dropped, "What? Why?"

"She was annoying," Draco said haughtily.

Victoria gave him a suspicious look, but didn't question him further. She was determined not to get tangled up in the whole Draco and Pansy fiasco. Her life already had enough drama in it as it was with just Draco being in it as a friend. She reached for the glass of water beside her bed. All this heart versus mind thinking was making her thirsty.

"Hey Victory?" he asked suddenly, pulling her out of her thoughts as they left the Hospital Wing, heading to their respective dormitories.

"Hm?"

"Do you want to come to the Malfoy Manor with me for Christmas?"

The glass slipped from her hands and she stopped walking, coming to a dead stop. She barely managed to catch it before it hit the floor and shattered into a million pieces.

"Wha-a-at?" she sputtered.

"I'm being serious, Victory. It'll be fun."

"I don't think I trust your idea of 'fun', Draco. I told you I'm not another one of your trophies."

Draco put his hands up innocently, "I'm inviting you as a friend. Plus, it's better than spending your time here alone at the school isn't it?"

Victoria sighed, defeated, "Fine. I accept."

"Excellent. Pack your things. We leave tomorrow."

"It better not be in the morning," Victoria muttered to herself as she parted ways with Draco at a set of stairs.

Draco gave her a small wave, oblivious to her mutterings, and disappeared down to the dungeons.

* * *

_I'm going to kill him. I will sneak into his overly decorated room in the dead of night and gut him then strangle him with his intestines. Or behead him. Or create a potion that will kill him more brutally than the Cruciatus Curse. Yeeeesss, that was perfect. No one would ever know...except perhaps Professor Snape. Maybe the potion wasn't such a good idea. She should just stick with her original murder plan._

"Victory, you ok?" Draco asked, slightly concerned at the various faces Victoria was making as she sat in thought across from him.

Victoria's eyes snapped to the tall Slytherin sitting merely three feet across from her. Not only was it _six in the morning_ but for some reason, Draco decided it would be a good idea to get to his house via horse-drawn carriage. Victoria _despised_ horses. They scared her to death, yet Draco thought that a horse-drawn carriage was just such a wonderful idea.

"You're starting to freak me out a little," Draco said, waving his hand in front of her face.

"I'm fine," she growled, grinding her teeth in frustration.

Draco gave her a skeptical look, but decided not to push her. When the horse carriage came to a stop, he pushed the door open and got out. He offered his hand to Victoria, who gladly took it and allowed him to help her out of the deathtrap.

Just as Victoria was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Draco spoke up, "Come here, Victory. One of the horses drawing our carriage is mine. I want you to meet him. We'll be going horseback riding later in the week."

Victoria hastily backpedaled away from Draco Malfoy. He wanted her to go near one of those…_beasts._

"I'm good, thanks though."

"What's wrong with you? It's a horse, not a monster hiding under your bed. Don't be such a baby!"

Victoria bristled, "How _dare_ you! You're such a-"

"Draco! Welcome home darling," a blonde woman called out from the steps of the manor.

"And you must be Victoria! Draco has told me a lot about you in his letters. Welcome to our home, dear. I am Draco's mother. You may call me Narcissa," she said as they approached her.

"Thank you for having me," Victoria replied politely.

"It's no problem, dear! I'll show you to your room while Draco takes his suitcase to his room. Then my son can give you a tour of our home. Please, follow me," Narcissa said cheerfully.

Victoria nodded and followed the retreating figure of Narcissa, but not before turning and sending one last hateful glare at the Slytherin Prince.

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**A/N: Aaannnnd end chapter 6! Nothing too interesting happens in the chapter, my apologies. But look for the next chapter soon! Chapter 7 is when a lot of things will come to light. Maybe Draco will actually discover Victoria's Secret. (on a sidenote, I just realized...VICTORIA'S SECRET! Totally did not plan that XD but funny nonetheless). Another sidenote, I LOVE horses, so don't think that I'm against them :) Please review! :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'M SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY! FF was down for forever and I couldn't update any of my stories! I had to use an intense loophole to be able to post this story. So please forgive the delay and enjoy! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters/places that make an appearance in this fanfiction.

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To say that the Malfoy Manor was huge would be an understatement. For Victoria to adequately describe the mansion would require her to make up words, like ginormous or ridonkulous. And the reason for this train of thought? She was lost…horribly lost.

"Maybe I took a right instead of a left…or no, maybe I was supposed to go straight…or…DAMMIT! WHERE AM I?"

"My my, someone sounds upset."

Victoria whirled around in surprise, stifling a gasp. She found herself staring up into icy blue eyes. To her immense shock, they did not belong to Draco Malfoy. Rather, the tall boy before her had shaggy coal black hair that framed his face, giving him a majestic appearance. Despite how handsome he was, Victoria took a couple steps away from him. There was something in his cold eyes that made her wary, a glint of craziness.

"Who are you?" she asked, mentally cursing when her voice cracked.

"Oh, forgive my horrible manners," the boy said with a mocking bow, "I am Draco's cousin, Crux Lestrange."

Victoria visibly threw herself back from the boy, clearly shaken. That's why he unnerved her. His mother was Bellatrix Lestrange. The craziness she saw in his eyes, though not as extreme, mirrored his mother's.

"Stay away from me," she hissed, looking around frantically for an escape.

"Why are you acting like that? Have I done something wrong?" he asked innocently, slowly closing the gap between them.

A flash of blonde to her right caught Victoria's eyes. She drew in a sharp breath to prepare for a scream. Crux realized what she was going to do a second too late.

"DRA-"

A chilled hand clamped on her mouth, cutting her off mid-scream. She was once again looking into the hateful eyes of Crux Lestrange.

"Don't even think about it, princess."

Victoria whimpered.

* * *

Draco was suddenly hit with a wave of terror and had to fight a wave of nausea at the sudden onslaught.

"Bloody hell," Draco muttered, putting his hand on the wall to steady himself.

Why did this feel so familiar?

Then it hit him like someone had thrown a bucket of water on him. IT was the same feeling he experienced when Victoria was being assaulted by Blaise. But this time, the location was scattered. Draco didn't question where the strange feeling came from. Instead, he spun on his feet and went back the way he came. It wouldn't hurt to look. He pushed the imagined whimpering of Victoria from his mind.

_Draco, help me.

* * *

_

"Well, princess, how would you like to become a Death Eater? I'm surprised you're my cousin's friend without being one. You're a pretty little thing; you'll fit in nicely."

Victoria did her best not to look into Crux's gaze. He was a powerful wizard; she knew if she got caught in his eyes, she would involuntarily get drawn into his mind. And it was very obvious to her that Crux was not as oblivious as Draco- not that she thought Draco was stupid, but Crux was sly and could easily spot a gift like hers. If he knew, Crux would report her to the Dark Lord. Certainly He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would find need for a telepath and empathy. Her powers came from ancient magic that ran through her family, not something that she had to cast a spell to use. Victoria could not be blocked from someone's mind and could be very useful. Crux would know immediately that she could help the Dark Lord…and she didn't want to.

But she couldn't resist his compelling gaze, no matter how hard she tried. When their eyes met, Victoria was immediately drawn into the void of his mind. She saw memories and thoughts that were accompanied by a plethora of emotions. It registered somewhere in the back of her mind that his eyes widened when this all happened. Crux Lestrange knew of her gift of telepathy and empathy.

Victoria fought to tear herself out of Crux's mind, a feat that almost made her collapse in exhaustion. A crazed laugh erupted from Crux's throat, making Victoria shiver.

"_THIS_ is brilliant! Who knew I could find such ancient magic wandering the halls of Malfoy Manor. Oh no, this is rich! Princess, you have hidden your secret quite well. Too bad you came with Draco to his manor or the Dark Lord might have never known about your little gift," his voice changed suddenly, getting a low rumble to it as he tried to compel her, "Join us, princess. You will be highly ranked, among the Dark Lord's most praised and important Death Eaters. You can help us tip the Final Battle in our favor. The Dark Lord can train you to hone your already impressive power. He can teach you telekinesis, the final power you have yet to unlock. What do you say, princess?"

"Crux, leave my guest alone," a cool voice drawled from Victoria's right.

Crux flashed a cocky grin at his cousin, "I was merely chatting with her, Draco. Don't take away from my fun."

Draco got a dangerous look in his eyes, making Victoria shiver.

"Crux. Now."

Crux bowed mockingly and glanced once more at Victoria.

_I'm not done with you._

The thought was practically shouted in the silence between the three. Victoria winced, glaring at the retreating form of Crux Lestrange.

"Victory, are you ok?"

Victoria stopped glaring at the crazy Lestrange and turned her attention to Draco, "I'm fine. Thank you, Draco."

"So are we back to talking to each other?"

Victoria looked at him thoughtfully. Though he didn't show it, Victoria was sure that he sounded hopeful. Finally, she nodded. The corners of Draco's mouth twitched upward slightly.

"Victoria, we need to talk about what just happened."

She sighed. She knew this was coming.

"Can we talk about it somewhere other than this damned hallway?"

Draco smirked and obliged, "Let's go to the library."

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**A/N: Thanks for being patient and reading! I love you guys! Please review! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: It's a short chapter and VERY late but it's better than nothing! Please don't be too mad! This story is coming to a close very very soon so I want the last few chapters to be perfect! I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters except for Victoria and Crux. Please don't sue XD I'm just an adoring Harry Potter fan!**

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"So, what's going on, Victoria?" Draco asked, lounging in a plush armchair.

"I have the power of telepathy and empathy," Victoria explained, content to pacing back and forth rather than sitting down.

"You can use Legilimency?" Draco supplied.

Victoria shook her head, "No. It's much deeper than that. It's not a spell, but an ancient power passed in the blood of my family. I cannot be blocked out of someone's mind by Occlumency, only by another person with the same ancient power as me."

"So what is this power called?" Draco asked curiously.

"Its name is ancient and almost unpronounceable. It would be pointless to tell you."

Draco shrugged, earning a small smile from Victoria.

"So that's how you know what I'm thinking. Can you read my mind right now?" Draco asked.

Victoria shook her head, "I try to not make it my business to read people's minds. It's an invasion of privacy. The only reason I sometimes know what you're thinking is because it's attached with a powerful emotion. It's just something I can't help picking up on, like your brain is screaming thoughts."

"But if you wanted to, you could?"

Victoria nodded.

Draco looked thoughtful before answering, "So you would be very valuable to the Dark Lord. I'm assuming this is why you don't tell anyone."

Victoria nodded again.

"Yes, and isn't it unfortunate that she met me here?"

The cold voice sent a shiver down Victoria's spine.

"Crux, GET OUT!" Draco roared, finally losing his temper.

Crux just laughed, "You can't tell me what to do, Drakie."

Draco made a move to reach for his wand. In a flash, the amusement in Crux's eyes shifted to annoyance.

"Draco, I have already informed the Dark Lord. Even if you killed me, it would make no difference. It would actually only serve to anger the Dark Lord even more."

"Stop, Draco," Victoria found her voice, reaching out to take a hold of Draco's wand arm, "I'll be ok, I promise."

"Victory…" Draco stared at her confident expression in wonder.

Victoria turned to Crux confidently and said, "I have a deal for you."

The blue-eyed Lestrange raised an eyebrow and nodded for her to continue.

"No harm comes to Draco Malfoy, from the Dark Lord or any of the Deatheaters or his followers."

"And if we agree to that?"

Victoria took a deep breath and stepped closer to him as she continued, "And I will serve the Dark Lord until the day I die."

"Deal."

"Victory! No!" Draco exclaimed, making an attempt to grab her.

Crux patiently held his hand out towards green-eyed Ravenclaw, waiting for her to shake his hand and seal their bargain.

Victoria ignored Draco's plea and continued her march towards Crux Lestrange.

* * *

Draco watched the scene unfold in slow motion. As soon as her fingers connected with his cousin's, a golden light erupted from the joined hands. The contract was made. An evil laugh started to bubble up from Crux's throat as he wrapped his arm around Victoria's waist and pulled her close to him.

"Sayonara, Draco," he said cheerfully.

Then with a loud POP, they were gone.

Draco fell to his knees, staring at the spot where his Victory was just moments before. The blonde Slytherin blinked and touched his cheek, interrupting the trail of a tear.

A determined look settled in his blue eyes. He would get her back, no matter what the cost. But he would need some help, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

Draco scrambled up, quickly finding a quill and parchment. He scrawled a hasty letter out to one of the people he hated most and sent it off with his owl before going to his room to get ready.

_Harry Potter,_

_I know we are not the best of friends. I know we aren't even friends. And you know that I would never ask you for any favors unless I had no other option. It has come down to this. The Dark Lord has Victoria Alma. I know that she is a friend of yours and she is very dear to me. You and your friends, if they wish, need to meet me tonight at 9:00 just outside Malfoy Manor. I am going whether you come or not, but, as much as I hate to admit it, I need all the help I can get._

_Draco Malfoy_

Now all Draco could do was wait until 9:00 tonight and hope-pray-that Potter and his friends would show up.

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**A/N: Sorry guys but it was a good place to end! My finals are coming up soon (in case you don't read The Prince's Knight and didn't know) so I won't be able to update soon, probably until after my finals are done. Please review! :) I love you guys! We're almost to the end! I'm estimating two or three more chapters. Once again, sorry for such a short, uneventful chapter but I hope you guys review anyways! **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Well guys, this story is coming to a close really quickly! There's only one more chapter left! Thanks for sticking with me til the end of this one! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters that make an appearance in this story except for Victoria and Crux.**

**Note: I know it has really short sections throughout here, but I think it adds to the suspense to see what's happening with different groups.**

* * *

"Thank you for letting me stop to pick up some of my belongings," Victoria said after a moment of hesitation, hoisting the heavy duffle bag on her shoulder.

Crux shrugged and held his hand out to her. She took it and they, once again, disappeared with a loud pop.

They reappeared in a dank, musty corridor. Water dripped down the walls, echoing down the hall.

"Give me your bag," Crux commanded, making an attempt to relieve her of her heavy luggage.

"No!"

Crux gave the young woman a startled look.

"Sorry. I just have some pictures of my parents in here that I don't want damaged," Victoria stammered apologetically.

Crux rolled his eyes and muttered, "Suit yourself."

Victoria followed Crux closely while she reached out with her mind to search for others in the area. Ahead of them, she detected a strong, evilly inclined mind accompanied by a very unstable mind.

_The Dark Lord and Bellatrix Lestrange._

The Dark Lord's mind would be so powerful that she didn't doubt that she would eventually get caught up in a vortex of his horrific memories. Victoria took a calming breath and mentally prepared herself for everything she knew she was about to go through.

* * *

Draco waited in silence outside the Malfoy Manor. He paced back and forth out of impatience and to keep warm.

"Malfoy, what's going on?"

Draco turned sharply to see three figures approaching him from the crest of the hill.

"How did you get here? I didn't hear you arrive," Draco asked openly, not caring to be cold or cruel to them.

"We Apparated a mile away and walked," Hermione piped up.

"Now tell us what's going on," Harry demanded impatiently, "This better not be a trick, Malfoy."

Draco massaged his head and delved into the entire story, starting with introducing Crux Lestrange and ending with the departure of Crux and Victoria.

"Harry, Hermione, Ron- I really need your help," Draco concluded, breathless.

Harry nodded and answered, "Victoria is our friend. We'll help. What do you propose we do?"

Draco let out a sigh of relief and explained the plan, "Well, there should only be four people in permanent residence at the Dark Lord's Manor: Crux, Bellatrix, Victoria, and the Dark Lord himself. Here's what we're going to do…"

* * *

"Welcome," a cold voice hissed from the darkness, "Now that you've made yourself comfortable, I would like to thank you for seeing reason. And you made such a simple request, I am…surprised."

Victoria bowed like Crux told her too, looking down at the floor meekly.

"Come now, child. That is not necessary. You are my diamond; no need to have your face down to the ground."

Victoria looked up slowly, coming face to face with the burning red eyes of the Dark Lord. His attempted look of kindness contorted his face, making it even harder to look at.

"That's better. Do you require anything? I know you must be tired from your trying trip," the Dark Lord offered.

"Actually, if I could get a goblet of orange juice, that would be nice," Victoria said, thankful that her voice didn't crack, "And I would like to lie down and go to sleep after that, my Lord."

Voldemort nodded and snapped at Crux, "Get Victoria what she requests. Then come to the meeting room. We have much to discuss."

Crux nodded and disappeared down a side hallway. Victoria took it as her sign to disappear as well and went back to her room.

* * *

"Here's your drink," Crux muttered, shoving the goblet into her hands before leaving.

Victoria waited a few moments, watching the door, before pulling out an unmarked vial from her pocket. She poured it into her drink and swirled the liquid around the goblet like one would with wine before downing it quickly.

The goblet slipped out of her hand and clattered to the floor, followed by a soft thud. Victoria closed her eyes and waited for the potion to take effect. It didn't take long before she slipped away into the darkness.

* * *

"Intruders," the Dark Lord hissed in the middle of their meeting, whipping his wand out from the pocket of his cloak.

"We'll hold them off! You get to safety!" Crux said in alarm, pulling out his wand.

"I will get the girl and go to the safe house. Meet me there," Voldemort said curtly to the Lestranges before heading upstairs to retrieve Victoria.

* * *

"We'll take the downstairs. Like you said, Victoria will probably be in a room upstairs. You go find her!" Harry whispered before jumping up to fire a spell around a corner.

Draco nodded and took a hall to their left, praying that he would find the staircase.

* * *

The Dark Lord didn't even try to hide his shock when he saw Victoria's motionless body on the floor; she wasn't breathing. Her goblet was lying in a pool of orange juice next to her body.

"She killed herself?" he muttered, "How?"

He knelt and searched her pockets, quickly finding an empty potion vial. The Dark Lord threw the vial at the stone ground angrily, shattering it into a thousand pieces. How could he have been so foolish? The brat was clever; she was a Ravenclaw that had fallen for a Slytherin. Of course she wouldn't want to work for him. But she made a deal, a very well-worded deal.

"Clever and sly," the Dark Lord cursed.

"Victoria?"

Voldemort watched as Draco Malfoy skid from his run to a dead stop. He fell to his knees silently, his blue eyes glued to the girl's body.

"What did you do to her?" Draco accused, blinking back tears.

"She poisoned herself. I did nothing."

"I'll kill you!" Draco roared, leaping to his feet and pointing his wand at Voldemort.

Voldemort laughed, sending a visible shiver down the Malfoy boy's spine.

"I cannot allow you to kill me. However, thanks to your precious little Ravenclaw, I cannot kill you either."

Draco frowned, not lowering his wand, "What do you mean?"

"This girl outsmarted me," Voldemort snarled bitterly, "'_No harm comes to Draco Malfoy, from the Dark Lord or any of the Deatheaters or his followers. I will serve the Dark Lord until the day I die_.' She did indeed serve me until she died and the deal was sealed with magic. You cannot be killed by my hands or any of my followers."

A sadistic smirk broke out on Draco's face, "Then I will kill you!"

"I'm afraid not," Voldemort said, mirroring his smirk before disappearing with a loud pop.

Draco stared at the spot where Voldemort had been standing in disbelief. He had a chance at revenge for Victoria and he blew it.

"Victoria!" he breathed, approaching her body and kneeling beside her.

Her body was already cold to the touch. Draco pulled her close and buried his head in her hair, masking his tears.

"Draco! The Lestranges Disapparated. Did you find Victori-" Harry stopped mid-sentence when he saw a disheveled Draco clutching the lifeless body of Victoria.

"Harry," Hermione nudged the Chosen One forward, "Get him away from her. It's not doing him any good."

Harry nodded and went to talk Draco into letting go of her. After what seemed like forever, Draco nodded and followed Harry dejectedly.

"I'm taking Draco back to the Malfoy Manor. I told him that you would handle getting Victoria's body back," Harry whispered to Hermione in passing.

Hermione nodded and waited for them to leave before approaching Victoria with Ron following close behind her.

"Blimey, Hermione, can you believe she did this?" Ron whispered as Hermione examined the body carefully.

An odd look flashed across Hermione's face when she answered, "No Ron, I can't believe it at all."

* * *

**A/N: *tear* Victoria is dead...or is she? Why is Hermione so skeptical? Stay tuned for the next and final chapter of Face Down! Please review! :)**


	10. Epilogue

**A/N: *tear* this is the final chapter of Face Down. Thank you guys so much for sticking with me! :) Now, this ending could have gone so many different ways and I rewrote it at least three times. But I like how this turned out. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I only own Victoria.**

* * *

"_He's been moping about for weeks now," Lucius told the group of kids standing outside of his door, "That girl's death really got to him. He wasn't even fazed when I told him that the Dark Lord was dead."_

"_Mr. Malfoy, we brought someone to see him," Hermione said softly, pushing forward the other feminine figure in their group._

_Lucius stared at the girl before him in surprise, but opened the door wider and let them in his manor._

"_He's in his room. I'm sure you remember where that is, Miss Alma."_

_Victoria nodded and made her way to Draco's room. She knocked lightly on the door and waited patiently for Draco to tell her to come in. After a few minutes, it was clear that he didn't want to be seen. Victoria shrugged and pushed the door open, earning a violent reaction from the boy inside._

"_Didn't I say to leave me alone!" he yelled, throwing his pillow at her without looking._

"_Draco?" she said, walking to his bed and shaking his shoulder to get his attention._

_He looked up in awe, then shook his head and flopped back down into his bed and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "dream"._

_Victoria frowned and shook him again, "Draco, this isn't a dream. I was never dead. I used the Draught of Living Death."_

_Draco looked up at her curiously. She smiled and Draco immediately jumped from his bed and pulled her into a hug._

"_I love you, Victory," he whispered, running his fingers through her hair._

* * *

"Draco, wake up," a musical voice floated into his subconscious thought.

The young man opened his bleary blue eyes, blinking to clear them. When his vision finally came into focus, he was gazing upon the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Before him was Victoria, wearing a simple maternity dress that revealed a small baby bump, but nonetheless flattered her. Clinging to her leg was a little boy with Draco's platinum hair and Victoria's beautiful jade green eyes.

"It's time for dinner. You fell asleep," Victoria continued, giving her husband an amused look.

Draco leapt to his feet and planted a sweet kiss on the lips of his Victory.

"Eww, Daddy!" his son squealed, covering his eyes childishly with his small hands.

Draco knelt and kissed his son on the forehead, "Scorpius, go ahead and set the table for dinner."

"Ok, Daddy!" Scorpius said enthusiastically, dashing off to set the table.

"Don't forget to set two extra places for Grandpa and Grandma," Victoria called after her eager son.

Draco sighed and muttered to himself, "I forgot Mother and Father were coming for dinner tonight."

"Are you ok, Draco?" Victoria asked, resting a gentle hand on his shaking frame, "Did you have that dream again?"

"You know it's not a dream, Victory. That memory continues to haunt me," Draco said with a sigh, gathering his wife into his arms.

Victoria smiled regretfully, "I'm sorry. I didn't intend for you to react so passionately about my faked death. At least something good came out of it all?"

Draco smoothed her honey colored hair down absentmindedly as they talked, taking the time to kiss her on occasion.

"And what was that?"

"It was the first time that you ever told me you loved me."

"Because I thought I had lost you. I was afraid I might never get the chance again. I'm just proud to have such a clever wife. You saved us both," Draco said softly, pressing his lips to hers.

Victoria returned the kiss. Draco's hands and her own rested upon her stomach lovingly as they savored their kiss.

"You went to the doctor, right?" Draco asked when they separated.

Victoria nodded, a smile breaking across her face.

"And?"

"We're having a little girl," she said excitedly, her eyes lighting up.

Draco returned her enthusiasm, "That's great, Victory! What are we going to name her?"

"How do you feel about the name 'Lyra'? I've always loved that name," Victoria offered, looking up into her husband's eyes.

He smiled down at her and kissed her on the cheek, "Sounds beautiful."

"Mama! Daddy! Grandpa and Grandma are here!"

The two smiled at each other before making their way to the kitchen. On their way, they passed the picture of them on their wedding day. Draco's eyes drifted over to the moving portrait.

_Victoria's eyes shone as Draco slipped the ring onto her finger. She looked up into the blue eyes of her love and smiled. Draco returned it and leaned down, kissing her softly and sealing their marriage._

"_I love you, Victory."_

Another pictured they passed was one taken just after Victoria gave birth to their son. Draco could vividly remember taking the picture of his beautiful wife and son.

_Her long hair was a mess, but she was smiling at the bundle of blue blankets in her arms. A tiny hand had curled around Victoria's finger as the baby stared up at his mother blissfully._

Pictures upon pictures were on the wall, each of a different memory: Scorpius's first birthday, the first house they bought without the help of Draco's parents, Scorpius learning how to ride a broomstick, every single Christmas they had spent together, Scorpius playing the Muggle game of tag with his grandfather, Draco falling into the pool at Malfoy Manor that his son and father had conspired to push him into, a family portrait of the Malfoys' waving and smiling happily, and so many more. There were even a few pictures of friends: Blaise and his family, Hermione and Ron, Harry and Ginny. Life was perfectly beautiful.

He looked down at his wife and kissed her cheek and whispered, "I love you, Victory."

She looked up at him with a soft smile.

"I love you too, Draco."

* * *

**A/N: well? What do you think? Please review! :) I love you guys so much! Thanks for reading to the very end! That's it for Face Down :') if you want to read some more, go check out my other Harry Potter fic, The Prince's Knight. See you guys!**


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